The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Part 26
The third Sonday after Easter.
Coherence of the foure former Scriptures with these 4,THe two former Scriptures of the old Testament, appointed for the precedent Lords day, gaue vsus a view of King Balaks tempting of Balaam to do and speake contrary to Gods direct will and commandement. Moses in these 2. appointed for this day, takes a contrary course, in exhorting the people to take nothing from the word and commandement of God,Summe and scope of these two out of the old testament, or to adde any thing thereto: not to decline to the right hand, nor to the left. S. Peter teacheth men to make vse of this pure doctrine, in walking, and honestly cōuersing among men,Summe of the two out of the new testament, in abstaining from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule. And S. Iohn in recording the words of our Lord Iesus, concerning his returne after his Ascension, doth assure the faithfull members of Christs Church, of the comfortable assistance of Gods holy spirit, to enable thē both in their vpright and faithfull beleeuing, and in their holy walking.
Exhortation to constancy, &c.Moses in the first part of these Scriptures,Mor. Prayer. 1 Less. Deut. 4. written Deut. 4. doth in the forefront of the chapter,
First propound,Parts. 1. A generall doctrine exhortatiue1 Doctrine generall exhortatiue, and dehortatiue. of hearkning vntounto, that is, obeying the lawes of God, 2. A doctrine dehortatiue, or a caueat to beware of addition vntounto, or detraction from Gods word. vers. 1.2.
In the second part hee yeelds reasons to force the former doctrines taken from the recitall of that good which God had done for them in former time which obeyed him,2 Reasons of the doctrines, and how he dealed with them which disobeyed him, vers. 3. to the end of the 13.
In the third he propounds a more particular dehortatiue doctrine cōcerning the eschewing of idolatry,3 A more particular exhortatiue doctrine. prohibited in the law of God, deliuered him in the two Tables on mount Sinay: which part of the law they ought not to breake: for the Lord their God is a consuming fire, and a iealous God, vers. 14. to the end of the 24.
In the fourth part he threatneth the people,4 A threatning of such as fall to idolatry, and denounceth against them Gods iudgments which wil ouertake such as God hath blessed with his benefites, & yet corrupt themselues with idolatry, verse 25. ad 28.
In the fifth part Moses teacheth,5 A promise of mercy to the beleeuers and penitent, that as God is displeased with idolatry & forgetfulnesse of his ordinances, so he will be pleased with them when they shall repent and forsake their sins, and after their returne to God, shall call vntounto him for mercy in their feeling of his punishments, and the smart of his roddes: which hee proueth, as before, by experience of Gods former dealing with them, vers. 29. to the end of the 40.
In the sixth part the holy Ghost makes mention of the three citties of refuge,6 The cities of refuge. and as in an epilogue or conclusion, sheweth the briefe summe of that which was deliuered before in this fourth, and in the third chapter.
In the second of these Scriptures, Deut. 5.Eue. Prayer. 1 Les. Deut. 5. Moses keepes on in the same course wherein he began,Parts.
1 Exhortation to obedience,First exhorting,Exhortation to continuance in obedience. and by reasons perswading them to obey the lawes and ordinances of God, which he being Gods minister, doth repeate the second time, and makes application of some of those lawes to the Israelites at that time, vers. 1. to the end of the 21.
2 A relation of the effects of Gods speech in the people whē God spake to them out of the fire, cloud, and darknesse,In the second part of this chapter, Moses rehearseth what effect Gods speech (out of the midst of the fire, cloude, and darknesse) tooke in the multitude, in their being afraid, that God should speake to them any more: and therefore do intreate that Moses might go betweene God and them, to heare what the Lord saith, and so to report it to them, vers. 22. to the end of the 27.
3 God is pleased that Moses shal go betwixt him and the people,In the third part Moses declares how God condiscended to this their request, and thereupon concludeth, that Gods people ought to obey the Lord in all things, not to turne to the right hand, nor to the left, verse 28, to the end of the 33. which is the end of the chapter.
Scope and summe of it. Exhortation to righteousnesse and holinesse of life,In the third selected Scripture, Saint Peter in his first Epistle and second Chapter, verse 11. to the end of the 18.Epistle 1 Pet. 2.11, ad 18. playeth and harpeth vponupon Moses his harpe, piping the same Lesson vntounto the dispersed Iewes and strangers: That seeing they were once not a people, but now the people of God, Partsa chosen Generation, a royall Priest-hood, an holy Nation, they would now therefore show forth the vertues of him that hath called them out of darknesse into his maruailous light.
1 Exhortation generall to religion, and the practise thereofFirst, he generally exhorteth vntounto religion to Godward, and to practise it amongst men, vers. 11.12.
2 Exhortation speciall to shew this religion in their submission to authority,Secondly, that they shew this obedience to God in their submission to all maner ordinance of man for the Lords sake. 1. Whether to the King, as the superiour ordinance, vers. 13. 2. Or to the gouernors as inferiour and subordinate powers vntounto the King,3 He vrgeth these exhortations by foure preceptiue Theses, vers. 14.15.16.
Thirdly, because S. Peter would hauehave this doctrine of submission and lowlinesse practised of all Gods people, and vntounto all:Exhortation to the practise of true religion, and to the intent that none be left out vntounto whom honour belongeth, He makes his former axiome to be foreign in saying: Honour all men, LoueLove brotherly fellowship. ver. 17.
Fourthly,4 The lowest estate and degree in eueryevery family is taught his duty. he exhorts the people which are of the lowest degree in a family vntounto this subiection and submission, which must be practised of good seruants, not to their good and courteous maisters, but to the bad and froward. ve. 18.
As in the precedent Gospell our Lord Iesus hath most bountifully shewed his louelove towards his flocke,Coherence hereof with the former Gospell and hath wirhall continued his louelove in caring for all his sheepe. So in our fourth Scripture selected for this day, written Iohn 16. ver. 16. to the end of the 22. he giues them and vsus to vnderstand, not of his generall louelove and care alone,Sūme & scope of this Gospell, but also of his most speciall and particular fauour. For albeit his chiefe seruants and schollers were ignorant,Christ prepares an antidote against the Disciples troubles. and did therefore doubt what their Maister should meane by these words. After a while ye shall see me, &c. yet he resolueth their doubt herein. And although multa cadūt inter calicem suprema{que} labra, many crosses and afflictions, many ouerthwart blowes, many miseries and troubles should befall them betwixt his absence and departure from them, and his bodily presence and returne vntounto them.Our ioy in Christ exceeds all earthly sorrowes & counteruaileth thē. Therefore doth he neuerthelesse wonderfully and most sweetly comfort them in these words of this Gospell with that maeasure of ioy which shall farre exceed all portions of sorrow whatsoeuer.
Of this portion of Scripture there be two generall parts.Parts.
In the first S. Iohn sets downe the doubtfulnesse of mind and the obiection which the Disciples made.A doubt propounded. An answere rēdred.
Secondly, the solution and plaine answere which Christ maketh vntounto their troubled minds and questioning tongues.
In the first we may respect: first,What the doubt was, What effect it had. what that doubtfulnesse and hard obiection was: secondly, what effect it wrought, and what came of it.
The doubtfulnesse was diuese:The doubtfulnesse is diuerse, first, out of Christs owne words set down in two propositions, the 1. is, After a while ye shall seeme: the 2. is A little while, and ye shall not: secondly,Christs comforts in afflictions vnspeakeable. out of the reason which he rendreth of his speech and words which his Disciples obserued not, For I go to the Father, ver. 16.
1 Effect of their doubtfulnesse was contention.The first effect of their doubtfulnesse was contention among the Disciples, questioning and reasoning about the words of Christ, 1. about both his positions, ver. 17. 2. about the expositions of them most easie, A little while and ye shall see me &c. yea, a great expostulation hereabout, what is this that he saith.
2 Effect is ignorance.The second effect is, the reason and originall of this their doubtfulnesse, and consequently of their contention, which is ignorance. We know not what he saith, ver. 18.
In Christs solutiō what things are to be thought vponupon.In Christ Iesus his solution let vsus regard: first, his readinesse, sufficiencie, and fitnesse to answere.1 Readinesse & sufficiency in him to answere. Because he knew (being God) that as they had enquired among themselues; so they would enquire and aske of him. Now Iesus knew that they would aske him, and said vntounto them; Do you enquire among your selues of that I said, A little while, &c. ver. 19. secondly, the answere it selfe containing his vehement asseueration in foretelling couertly,2 The answere which containeth a prophecy,
1 His departure,1 Of his departure. in these words, Ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce, &c. ver. 20.
2 His returne2 Of his returne. and coming againe, Your sorrow shall be turned into ioy, in the same verse.
Explanation of both by a simitude of a womā in trauell.This he explaneth by a similitude, whose
1 Protasis is of a woman in trauell, and her deliuerance. ver. 21.
2 The Apodosis is: first, the Disciples sorrow for Christs absence. And ye now therefore are in sorrow: secondly, their ioy of Christs returne. But I will see you againe, and your hearts shall reioyce, and your ioy shall no man take from you ver. 22.